work

activity directed toward making or doing something; "she checked several points needing further work"

a product produced or accomplished through the effort or activity or agency of a person or thing; "it is not regarded as one of his more memorable works"; "the symphony was hailed as an ingenious work"; "he was indebted to the pioneering work of John Dewey"; "the work of an active imagination"; "erosion is the work of wind or water over time"

the occupation for which you are paid; "he is looking for employment"; "a lot of people are out of work"

applying the mind to learning and understanding a subject (especially by reading); "mastering a second language requires a lot of work"; "no schools offer graduate study in interior design"

(physics) a manifestation of energy; the transfer of energy from one physical system to another expressed as the product of a force and the distance through which it moves a body in the direction of that force; "work equals force times distance"

a place where work is done; "he arrived at work early today"

the total output of a writer or artist (or a substantial part of it); "he studied the entire Wagnerian oeuvre"; "Picasso's work can be divided into periods"

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity; "I will work hard to improve my grades"; "she worked hard for better living conditions for the poor"

be employed; "Is your husband working again?"; "My wife never worked"; "Do you want to work after the age of 60?"; "She never did any work because she inherited a lot of money"; "She works as a waitress to put herself through college"

have an effect or outcome; often the one desired or expected; "The voting process doesn't work as well as people thought"; "How does your idea work in practice?"; "This method doesn't work"; "The breaks of my new car act quickly"; "The medicine works only if you take it with a lot of water"

perform as expected when applied; "The washing machine won't go unless it's plugged in"; "Does this old car still run well?"; "This old radio doesn't work anymore"

shape, form, or improve a material; "work stone into tools"; "process iron"; "work the metal"

give a workout to; "Some parents exercise their infants"; "My personal trainer works me hard"; "work one's muscles"; "this puzzle will exercise your mind"

proceed along a path; "work one's way through the crowd"; "make one's way into the forest"

operate in a certain place, area, or specialty; "She works the night clubs"; "The salesman works the Midwest"; "This artist works mostly in acrylics"

proceed towards a goal or along a path or through an activity; "work your way through every problem or task"; "She was working on her second martini when the guests arrived"; "Start from the bottom and work towards the top"

move in an agitated manner; "His fingers worked with tension"

cause to happen or to occur as a consequence; "I cannot work a miracle"; "wreak havoc"; "bring comments"; "play a joke"; "The rain brought relief to the drought-stricken area"

cause to work; "he is working his servants hard"

prepare for crops; "Work the soil"; "cultivate the land"

behave in a certain way when handled; "This dough does not work easily"; "The soft metal works well"

have and exert influence or effect; "The artist's work influenced the young painter"; "She worked on her friends to support the political candidate"

operate in or through; "Work the phones"

cause to operate or function; "This pilot works the controls"; "Can you work an electric drill?"

provoke or excite; "The rock musician worked the crowd of young girls into a frenzy"

gratify and charm, usually in order to influence; "the political candidate worked the crowds"

make something, usually for a specific function; "She molded the rice balls carefully"; "Form cylinders from the dough"; "shape a figure"; "Work the metal into a sword"

move into or onto; "work the raisins into the dough"; "the student worked a few jokes into his presentation"; "work the body onto the flatbed truck"

make uniform; "knead dough"; "work the clay until it is soft"

use or manipulate to one's advantage; "He exploit the new taxation system"; "She knows how to work the system"; "he works his parents for sympathy"

find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of; "did you solve the problem?"; "Work out your problems with the boss"; "this unpleasant situation isn't going to work itself out"; "did you get it?"; "Did you get my meaning?"; "He could not work the math problem"

cause to undergo fermentation; "We ferment the grapes for a very long time to achieve high alcohol content"; "The vintner worked the wine in big oak vats"

go sour or spoil; "The milk has soured"; "The wine worked"; "The cream has turned--we have to throw it out"

arrive at a certain condition through repeated motion; "The stitches of the hem worked loose after she wore the skirt many times"